FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, June 27, 2024

Contacts: London Bernier, lbernier@greateryellowstone.org | Emilie Ritter, eritter@greateryellowstone.org

Today the Gallatin Forest Partnership unveiled a realistic solution to permanently protect 250,000 acres of public land in the Madison and Gallatin ranges. 

“The Madison and Gallatin mountain ranges are some of the wildest places left in the Lower 48. They provide incredible wildlife habitat and help define who we are as Montanans. They are our wild backyard, and with so much changing around us, they deserve protection now,” said Kathryn Eklund, Gallatin Forest Partnership member and southwest Montana community conservation specialist at The Wilderness Society. “That’s why the Gallatin Forest Partnership has developed a realistic solution – the Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act.” 

The Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act is proposed legislation that will protect drinking water, provide balanced access to outdoor recreation, conserve wildlife habitat, and stop further development. 

“The Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act will protect existing recreation access, including all of our favorite mountain bike trails, and it allows for timber and recreation pressure to be managed in a way that will keep Bozeman’s drinking water clean. We support this act because it strikes a realistic balance,” said Ian Jones, founder and vice-president of the Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association and member of the Gallatin Forest Partnership. 

While the Madison and Gallatin ranges have some protections under the current Forest Service management plan, these protections are not permanent. According to nonpartisan research, nine in 10 Montanans believe it’s important to permanently protect the Madison and Gallatin ranges. 

“The Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act will convert the majority of the Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study Area to permanent Wilderness and better protect our beloved wildlife, open space, and solitude. The wilderness study area was never meant to last forever – the act is a solution to long-standing confusion around this area,” said Henry Glenn, president of Gallatin Valley Back Country Horsemen and member of the Gallatin Forest Partnership. “This act is a win-win for all who use and enjoy this landscape.” 

Join the Gallatin Forest Partnership at Sitka Bozeman on June 27 at 6:00 p.m. to learn more about the Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act at the Wild Backyard Bash event. Two additional events will be held on July 2 in Big Sky at Gallatin Alpine Sports and on July 8 in Livingston at Neptune’s Brewery. 

To learn more about the legislation and events, visit greateryellowstoneact.org.

Photos available for media use are here.

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The Gallatin Forest Partnership is a coalition of recreationists, business owners, sportsmen, landowners, and conservationists who call the Madison and Gallatin ranges home. Since 2016, the Gallatin Forest Partnership has been advocating for permanent protections for these ranges. The partnership’s goals are to protect drinking water, conserve core wildlife habitat, and maintain access to recreation and our public lands. Nearly 2,000 citizens, business owners, and recreation advocates have endorsed the Gallatin Forest Partnership, including the Gallatin and Madison County Commissions and the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce.